Perhaps you’re saving hard for that long-awaited Europe trip, but know that you’ll still want to get some treatments done just before you go.
Or perhaps time is of the essence – that you’re so busy right now, the less time in the salon for you, the better!
But the quandary is – you want to look your very best for the spring and summer months, and home methods don’t always cut it. Here are some tips from the experts on how to make the very most of your professional treatments, so that the results last as long as possible – plus some low maintenance treatment options.
Lady Lash Director Charlotte Creasey says that “quality lash extensions, or enhanced, curled lashes, well-groomed brows, and healthy glowing skin are all looks that seem to be here to stay – not flash-in-the-pan trends”
But these things don’t come naturally to everyone – and some TLC (and subtle enhancements!) may be called on to achieve the desired look. Not all of these treatments last forever though – and some, like lash extensions do require a little more maintenance than others. So, what are the best way to make them last and get the most out of your beauty treatments?
“With lash extensions, the trick is to go shorter, and fuller – and to follow your lash stylist’s aftercare advice precisely” explains Charlotte. “The more lashes you have applied, the more there are to lose as they gradually start to come out, so they should look better for longer before they need an infill. If you go with a shorter length – really just 1 or 2 mm longer than your natural lashes, they generally stay looking neater for longer, and don’t get knocked around as much by sleeping, or swimming etcetera – and you can probably get away with more time between infills”.
“Whilst the staggered/wispy look is very on-trend at the moment (this is where we alternate long and short lashes) it’s not the best choice in terms of maintenance, as the very long lashes do grow out and get messy faster. So unless you can commit to pretty regular infills, if you want longer lasting lashes, I’d recommend going with shorter, more even-lengthed styles”
Lastly – Charlotte says that you do need to look after them properly to help them to last – trashing them with makeup and oily cosmetics will make them shed quickly and mean you need to come in more frequently for inflls; “no oily or waterproof products, avoid makeup on them as much as you can, wash them daily with a lash cleanser (we recommend Lash Game Foaming Cleanser) – and don’t pick at or fiddle with them – leave them be and you’ll have them for longer!”
As for brows, Charlotte says that henna brows are a great option because in most cases it will last a fair while longer than a brow tint, and that if you take good care of them, you can extend the life of them by up to a week.
“Firstly, keep the brow dry for at least 24 hours, to allow the skin stain to fully take hold. After this, don’t wash vigorously over the brow area, exfoliate it or use skin care over it – this will help it to last as long as possible – hopefully as long as 10 days on the skin – and several weeks on the hair!”
Or (though it is more expensive initially) if you’re sick of filling in your brows and want them looking perfect all the time – cosmetic tattoo or microblade is an even longer-lasting option. “Cost-per-wear, if you were going to break it down that way, a powder fill brow tattoo probably comes in about the same cost as having henna brows done monthly for a year or so – lasts a lot longer – and means less visits to the salon!”
Then, it comes to tanning. With natural sun tanning decreasing in popularity due to skin safety concerns, a fake tan might be your go-to when heading off for a beach holiday (especially after months and months of Sydney rain!)
Kate Joseph, Director of Dolce Vita Beaute is an expert at spray tans – and gives this advice on getting your tan to last longer: “Exfoliate well before your tan – and moisturize well after! A lot of people don’t do this as they think it will remove the tan quicker, but it actually does the opposite. As long as you use a body moisturiser twice a day that has no acids or exfoliation elements to it, you can extend the life of your tan by several days”
For facial treatments, aftercare is also really important, says Kate. “You really need a good day and night skincare routine to help the benefits from facial treatments last. You will see incredible results when you combine monthly facials with daily professional treatments at home”
And what about quick treatments that give the most bang-for-buck if you’re on a tight budget, but want a noticeable result?
Both Charlotte and Kate agree that a simple lash and brow tint and brow shape is a brilliant treatment option.
“Enhancing the eye and brow area can really pull a look together and make you look refreshed, bright eyed and well-groomed!”
Charlotte Creasey is the Director of Lady Lash Australia and has been a lash and brow artist for 14 years.
Kate Joseph is the Director of Dolce Vita Beaute and is a skin specialist/qualified beauty therapist with over a decade of experience.
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